Hello all my lovely fanfiction readers, and welcome to the second chapter of No Longer quote below is one of my favorites, and I think it describes this chapter well. It is the quote that inspired "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck. I forget the author of the original poem, but I believe it was entitled, "To a Mouse". Anyways, I hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson series.

Thanks for 36 reviews on my first chapter! I can tell this is going to be good!


The best laid schemes of Mice and Men

often go askew


Piper walked with her hood up through the market, with Jason and Leo flanking her.

She attempted to ignore her hollow stomach as it begged her to be fed with a weak growl. During the first few days with limited food, her stomach had been a relentless tiger caged inside her body. It had loudly grunted and ordered nourishment, but Piper had nothing to appease it with; her body had learned this, and had nearly given up asking. More often than not she'd take the meager food she'd been given and offer it to a young boy or an aging man, always insisting that she wasn't hungry and that they'd need it more than she did.

It was always bogus, but a starving belly was the only weakness of men besides lust, and they'd accept her gift without question. Jason would always narrow his eyes at her as would Leo, if he wasn't busy shoving his food into his face. The first few times she'd done it, Jason would hold out a bit of his small meal to her, but she'd always refuse. Piper already knew that Jason was struggling with hunger as it was, having been a prince that never had to worry about food.

He'd always protest that he was fine, but the way he'd shake slightly after having to skip a meal and twiddle his fingers nervously would give him away. Everyone else was used to it, and the pain it brought; Piper had to adjust slightly after living with the gladiators for a few weeks and constantly having food, but it wasn't a difficult transfer. But even with the familiar feeling of an empty stomach could protect against hunger for long, and eventually everyone would die.

That is why Piper, Leo, and Jason were at the market, when each were known fugitives; they needed to find food. Whether they stole it or found it in a trash heap, their people were sick and malnourished, and they were going to find something to eat for everyone. All two hundred and some odd of them. As they walked through the crowded market square, Piper couldn't help but listen in on conversations.

She had no doubt that world had spread of the prisoners' escape, and it would be known that she and Jason had helped—or at least Jason, no one had actually seen Piper; she'd attacked everyone from behind with a dart gun. However, no one was talking of a prison escape, Colosseum-related or otherwise. It kind of made Piper a little edgy in her walk, but she didn't know how Jupiter could hide it from anyone, especially with the fights occurring that afternoon.

"The fights are going to be good today."

Piper froze, causing Jason and Leo to stumble into her. They both were about to demand an explanation from her, but with a silencing hand, Piper turned to listen.

"I'll say they will be, with the Emperor announcing a surprise for the duelers."

Piper's eyebrows furrowed as she listened to the two men converse. Surprise?

"It's a shame that Pericles won't be fighting anymore, did you here that he—I mean, she," The man wiggled an eyebrow at his friend, sharing a quick laugh over his slip-up, "was executed?"

Piper's eyes widened. But she was right here, alive and well—actually she was starving, but she was alive.

"A shame indeed, I wish the Emperor had kept her." Piper couldn't help but grin; she had a fan. "Do you think he would've forced her to fight naked if we started a petition?" And it was gone.

"Piper?" Leo hissed into her ear. Piper shushed him and tried hear their words, but as they walked away, Piper didn't follow in fear of starting a suspicion. "Piper?" Leo said again, slightly louder.

"What?" Piper snapped, turning to him.

"What was that all about?"

Piper jerked her head back to the two men, as they disappeared into the crowd.

"Those men," she nodded after them, "they were talking about the fights, about how they were going to be good today."

"That's impossible." Jason interjected. "There are no tributes left to duel."

"I know." Piper said, through gritted teeth. "They also said something about a surprise Jupiter had for the tributes."

"Let's check it out." Jason suggested, following Piper's line of vision, where the two men had been standing. "Just to be safe."

Piper nodded. Just to be safe.


They had front row seats—which were the worst seats possible.

An up-close view of someone being beheaded and more often than not, the head was thrown into the crowd according to Jason, who had been attending matches since he was a small boy. Piper was currently terrified of having a dead skull being tossed into her lap. She shuddered at the thought and consider switching places with Leo, who had luckily claimed the last seat in the row above Piper and Jason, but with her luck, a gladiator would throw it with extra force and it would land in her lap anyways.

Piper was positive she was the only woman in attendance, as only men were allowed to witness the bloody excitement of other men fighting to the death. With mud once again smeared on her face, and the cloak hiding her hair, she'd be taken for a young boy who'd just spent his bread money to get the worst seat in the house. With Jason next to her, a stolen cloak hiding his own recognizable features, she was nervous to see what was to come. Honestly, she prayed Jupiter would just come out and explain that all the tributes had escaped, and that would be his big surprise.

Unfortunately, Piper was never one to have good luck.

An entire new group of starved peasants entered the arena, five being pushed ahead of the others. Piper's fists clenched as Jason and Leo turned to look at her with a worried look in their eyes. She'd risked not only her neck, but Jason's neck to save the tributes only to have Jupiter replace them within the week. Actually, judging by their sunken cheeks and hallowed eyes, he'd managed to replace them overnight.

Piper's, along with every other head in the arena, turned to look at the opposite side of the arena, where the gladiators would enter. The largely grouped amount of motion caused a loud swish to be heard, almost as if they had all turned a book page over at the same time. The audience waited and waited, but the gladiators never showed and the first prisoner was shoved forward without an opponent to meet him.

When Jupiter entered his Emperor's viewing box, with only Percy at his side; Piper didn't turn her head until he spoke. She was too busy staring at the gladiators entrance, wondering where her friends were. Where was Malcolm? Where was Nico? Where was Will? What had Jupiter done to them?

"My people!" Jupiter shouted to gain everyone's attention. "Let the battle begin!"

Despite their distance apart from each other, Piper could see a regretful glint in Percy's eyes, almost as if he were about to burst into tears. Her attention was pulled from Percy to the east gate; along with the west gate, Piper had never seen it be opened and judging by the silence from the crowd, they hadn't either. At first, nothing happened, but then a low growl emerged from the darkness of the entrance.

The gates creaked opened and the growl grew larger in sound as the tribute, a young boy no older than Piper herself, leaped for the weapon's table, seizing a dull spear missing half it's long hilt. As the boy prepared to protect himself, the creature stalked out as the crowd gasped in fear, even from their seats. The beast stayed low to the ground, baring it's teeth, stained pink from it's last meal. It's eyes were yellowed as it focused on the young boy, waiting for the precise moment to attack; Piper's heart nearly stopped as the beast leapt for the boy's neck.

Jupiter was no longer using men. He was using lions.


Piper closed her eyes.

But then she opened them again, understanding why citizens actually attended these events: there was too much action and danger to look away. She remained quiet as the crowd cheered when the boy dove from the lion's pounce at the last moment, his survival instincts kicking in. She could see the fear and panic in the boy's eyes, and it was painted on his face; he was terrified.

Piper would be too; she had never fought a lion before, but she imagined that it wasn't an easy opponent to defeat. As Piper watched the lion hunt it's prey, she started to memorize it's motion and fighting style. As sick as it sounded, Piper was a curious being and wanted to know everything she could, just on a slight chance she ever came face-to-face with one.

Her pupils followed the cat, watching the muscles in it's back flex and release just from walking. She was entranced with the way it's shoulder blades would move as it shifted from side to side. And it's eyes—they were Roman: merciless and bloodthirsty. They locked onto the boy and the lion was hungry, not necessarily to eat, but to kill. The animal snarled, giving both Piper and boy a good look at it's sharpened canines.

The way it's teeth curled in slightly and the front set of four, two on bottom and two on top, looked deadly. Piper knew that's how the animal would kill, by latching onto it's the poor boy until he died. It's tongue licked at it's lip, growing impatient for the tribute to make the first move of attack. The lion let out a low growl that grew into a roar as it padded about the arena, the boy shakily keeping his distance.

The lion looked at the boy, slightly calmer than it had been a few moments ago, it became suddenly aware of how useless this fight would be. It realized how little meat the boy carried, and that there could be possible injury from the spear in the boy's hands. It turns back to the gate of which it entered, standing in front of it as if waiting for it to open again and let him back inside.

The Romans, however, had another idea. From the first row of the Colosseum, close to the lion's gate, stood a Roman guard with a long whip in his grip. Just as the boy turned away, thinking his life was safe, the soldier lashed out the whip, slashing the lion. The strike left a red welt across it's backside, and to say it angered the lion would be an understatement.

Unsure of where the blow came from, the lion jerked around, searching for the culprit. It's eyes settled on the tribute, who has his back turned to the beast and even though the lion knew it would be impossible for the boy to have struck, it still stalks towards him. No one from the crowd warns the unsuspecting tribute as the lion jumps. The boy was crushed under it's weight, as he struggled get the near six-hundred pound cat off him.

But it was no use, as the lion forced him from his knees to his stomach, the tribute was torn apart. The vicious animal tore the flesh from his body, and Jupiter relished in the still living boy's screams. He flailed wildly, but as Piper had predicted, the lion latched his sharpened jaws onto the boy's neck and did not let go until he stilled. The gate opened and the lion took notice, dragging it's kill across the arena and back into it's den.

Piper stood from her seat, much to the displeasure of those sitting behind her, and quickly walked out of the Colosseum as another tribute was pushed forward. She had no doubt that another exotic animal would be sent out to kill it, perhaps a tiger or a hyena, and she most certainly did not want to watch that again. As Piper left, Jason and Leo both took notice and followed her out.

When she had made it to the bushes, where she and Jason had hid only a week prior, the former prince caught up to her and grabbed her arm. Piper could hear Leo far behind, even over the roar of the crowd; his breath was heavy, as Leo was never really in shape—that and he was starving to death. She and Jason were alone.

"Hey." His voice was soft and gentle. "You okay?"

"I thought by freeing all the tributes, I'd end the Colosseum," her eyebrows scrunched as disgust was written on her facial features, "but Jupiter just replaced all of them in less than a week."

"Hey." He awkwardly pulled her into his arms. "It'll be okay."

"There were lions, Jason!" She pushed him away, abruptly. "I damned all those people!"

"And you saved hundreds more!" He argued back; Piper was thankful for the loud cheers of the crowd to drown out their argument. "Piper, my father is relentless," she noted he still referred to Jupiter as his father, "and he will do anything to convince people he's in control!"

Right then and there, Piper had an epiphany. "But what if he wasn't?"

Jason suddenly dropped his hardened stare for a curious glint in his eyes. "What are you saying?"

"Look," Piper began to explain, "freeing the tributes only cured a small part of the problem, but if we were to take out the disease at it's source, we could fix everything!"

"Piper," Jason chuckled, almost in a depressed manor, "I highly doubt my father would just let you take his throne from him."

"I know."

"In fact," Jason said, jokingly, as if he had a crazed idea, "you'd probably have to kill him just to—"

Jason froze.


Dun. Dun. Dun. Dunnnnnn.

So? Can she do it? Can she kill Jupiter? Will Jason even let her? Will Leo ever get in shape? Find out, next week, on No Longer Roman.

...So? That's how I'd do a TV preview for this story. Anyways, do you think she has the guts to do it? This chapter was 2,842 words, which is about 1,000 off my last chapter, but oh well... Read and Review! I want to reach 65 reviews! And this is only the second chapter! Did you know I average 30 reviews per chapter, even during Roman? So... that's kind of the most I've ever averaged... which is terrifying... O_o

Writer's Advice: Outlines

This was requested by a reviewer, and I figured, why not advice everyone all at once?...

The best advice I could give another writer is to be confident in yourself, but also to remember the rules of grammar and structure. I advise to have outlines, whether you do lists or webs, or whatever. Have an outline! If I didn't have an outline, I'd be a mess. I always write a vague outline of events I want to occur in a certain chapter, and when I feel that I could leave a cliffhanger here and still end the chapter with a considerable amount of length, then I'm all good.

Know what you want in your story first and foremost, and always have your game plan. Honestly, without my outlines, I'd suck at writing. Well... maybe not suck... in case you didn't know, I wrote an improved Tratie story called Faking It. It was the first story I had ever written, and I didn't know anything about outlines. It only got 133 reviews, which isn't bad, but compare it to Roman, which was outlined, and it had 457 reviews... Yeah... I'm gonna stick with my outlining...

Read and Review!


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